Centenary of ANZAC

Captain James Cowey with his wife Annie on their wedding day

While the main focus of the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway is on the sacrifices made by Australian servicemen and women during World War II, it must also be recognised that those who enlisted were inspired and influenced by the reputation and courage displayed by the original ANZACs.

Many of these young recruits, some still in their teens, had fathers and uncles who had served at Gallipoli, the Western Front, or with the Australian Light Horse in the Middle East.

And there were some, such as Jim Cowey MC, who served in both World Wars. Jim was active at Gallipoli with the 14th Infantry Battalion 1st AIF, and fought in the later battles on the Western Front.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, Jim Cowey joined the 39th Militia Battalion and saw active service in New Guinea.

Upcoming Events

A living memorial

The Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway is a living memorial and a principal site of commemoration honouring all those who fought for Australia during World War II.

A principal focus is on the sacrifices made during key Papua New Guinea battles which took place in 1942-43 along the Kokoda Track, at Milne Bay on the south-eastern tip of Papua, and at Buna, Gona, and Sanananda on the northern coastline.

The Walkway covers more than 800 metres from Rhodes Station to Concord Hospital in Sydney’s inner-west, and runs along the mangrove-studded shores of Brays Bay on the Parramatta River.

At the centrepiece are magnificent granite walls bearing photographic images of the Kokoda campaign. There are 22 audio-visual stations along the Walkway, each describing a significant place or military engagement. The Walkway has been planted with lush tropical vegetation simulating the conditions of The Kokoda Track.

The Centenary of ANZAC and the GREAT WAR

July to December 1917

European Theatre

Sept.– Nov. Third Battle of Ypres (Belgium)

British forces planned to break through the strongly fortified German defences enclosing the Ypres salient, a protruding bulge in the British front line. There were a number of fierce separate engagements. Only small advancements were possible in the saturated terrain, and the hoped for breakthrough never eventuated. Australian divisions participated in a number of key attacks:

Sept. 20 Menin Road Belgium

Sept. 26 Polygon Wood Belgium

Oct. 4 Broodseinde Belgium

Oct. 9 Poelcappelle Belgium

Oct. 12 Passchendaele Belgium

Three successful pushes – Menin Road, Polygon Wood and Broodseinde – in September and early October steadily drove the Germans back to the top of Passchendaele ridge. Through October and into November, wet weather and sheer exhaustion meant further attacks became hopelessly bogged down. Though the final ridge was eventually gained, continued penetration of German positions proved unachievable. Losses were horrendous on both sides. During the five-month campaign, almost half a million men were lost. The fighting in these weeks cost the Australians another 38,000 casualties.

Middle East Theatre

Among the many battles that took place in the 2nd half of 1917, there is one name that stands out above all others in the desert war involving Australian mounted forces:

Beersheba (Palestine) Oct. 31

The battle of Beersheba took place on 31 October 1917 as part of the wider British offensive collectively known as the third Battle of Gaza. The final phase of this all day battle was the famous mounted charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade. General Grant gave the order personally to the 12th Light Horse Regiment: “men you’re fighting for water. There’s no water between this side of Beersheba and Esani. Use your bayonets as swords. I wish you the best of luck”. The capture of Beersheba enabled British Empire forces to break the Ottoman line near Gaza on 7 November and advance into Palestine.